The
nightlife in Saigon is always ‘moving’ every
day of the week – in fact – it’s dancing.
The Vietnamese love to do ballroom dancing – and they
are great at it. To experience a great mix of Vietnamese
locals and expats hanging out together, check out one of
the many free dance nights around town. Swing Dancing takes
place Wednesday nights at Moli
Lounge – G/F Petrohouse 5 Le Duan,
District 1. The Saigon
Swing Club teaches a free class before the open dance
begins! Or if you like Salsa check out Salsa
Saigon’s website to learn of their weekly open
dancing.

After dancing
– cool down with a creamy refreshment – ice
cream with an Vietnamese twist! Fanny’s
Ice Cream serves up flavors such as young rice (my favorite),
salt caramel, chocolate chili, ginger, and anise. Plus –
if you are in Saigon on the 1st Friday of the month, stop
by Fanny’s for an all you-can-eat ice cream buffet!
You can never have too much of a good thing!

A
word on safety...

As
a resident there I spent a great deal of time walking around
on my own and I always felt safe. Saigon is full of the
usual suspects – namely people willing to snag your
purse or backpack. So, always keep your handbag or pack
security attached to you and while walking down the street,
keep your purse hanging on the inside away from the street
and motorbike bandits. Also – I highly recommend when
at a restaurant, don’t place your bag on the floor
or a chair back. I always kept my bag strapped around my
knee or simply around my body. Also consider leaving your
passport back in your hotel safe if you don’t need
to carry it. However, always carry a copy of the front page
of your passport in a money belt close to your body.

Need
a doctor?...

Thanks
to a large expat community, there are great options for
medical attention while in Saigon. The Family
Medical Practice Vietnam is a centrally located western
run clinic which can see you if the heat, food, or a flu-bug
has got you down. They also have 24 hr emergency assistance.
The prices are somewhat typical for western medical services,
but you know that you are getting the best care while in
a foreign country.

Vietnamese
cookbook and website to explore...

Are
you interested in knowing more about Vietnamese food before
(or after) you travel? Journeywoman thought you'd enjoy
reading about Vietnamese cooking expert, Andrea Nguyen.

'When her
family was airlifted out of Saigon in 1975, one of the few
belongings that her mother hurriedly packed for the journey
was her small orange notebook of recipes. Thirty years later,
her daughter, Andrea Nguyen had the good fortune of writing
her own intimate collection of recipes, Into
the Vietnamese Kitchen, published by Ten
Speed Press, chronicling the food traditions of her native
country and how they sustained her family as they adapted
to their new home in America'.

This culinary
expert and teacher also writes an excellent blog called,
Viet World Kitchen. Click
here to explore some of her wonderful Vietnamese recipes
within that blog.

Know before you
go...

If
you intend to travel out of Saigon – then a
good travel agent goes a long way to navigating the
confusing airlines and antiquated booking systems.
Try Exotissimo
- they are well respected among the expats in the
area.

There
are millions of small little hotels all over Saigon,
but I would recommend Asian
Ruby Hotel . This is where my family members stayed
when visiting; we found the staff, service, and location
all very good.

If
you are looking for a unique guidebook – check
out To
Vietnam With Love for insider tips from people
who have lived there.

Want
to learn how to cross the busy streets in Ho Chi Minh
City without being knocked down by motor scooters,
cars, trucks and buses? Click
here.